Grace Church is a monumental piece of Gothic architecture for Fletch, as it has been a part of his life for many years. Fletch said that because he \u201cspent considerable time\u201d at Grace, he \u201cfelt a strong connection [to the church], making it an ideal subject for [his] project.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amidst Grace Church’s towering arches and colorful stained glass, Fletch found the spark of inspiration for his IP10 project: the creation of a detailed LEGO model of the church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fletch\u2019s project goes beyond replicating a structure; it\u2019s an immersive exploration of historic Gothic architecture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy aim is to independently uncover Gothic architecture\u2019s historical backgrounds and evolutions,\u201d Fletch explained. \u201cIt\u2019s a delightful blend of my passion for historical research and one of my favorite art styles. I incorporated my love for Lego into the project to add a personal touch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The journey began with Fletch carefully planning and ordering the necessary LEGO pieces. After chapel one day, he \u201cstayed back, meticulously photographing every corner of the church,\u201d allowing him to create an impressively accurate replica. Once he had all his photographs, he began to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fletch devoted an \u201caverage of six hours a day [and] five days a week\u201d to his project, which he completed in about five months. The final build will be presented at the IP10 symposium, and a website detailing Fletch\u2019s whole process will be created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another highly creative project is Micah W.’s compelling documentary on political polarization in America. Micah\u2019s choice of topic stems from a fusion of personal interest and societal significance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt combines two of my favorite interests,\u201d he said, \u201cand also has an important story to tell in today\u2019s context!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Micah\u2019s documentary takes the form of a \u201csizzle reel,\u201d a shorter-style format. His vision includes interviews with a diverse range of perspectives, from fellow students and teachers to government officials, such as Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Micah\u2019s documentary sheds light on the complexities of the partisan divide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the documentary may be shorter in duration than a standard feature, it is brimming with meticulously curated information gathered throughout the school year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Micah also plans to continue working on his project beyond the symposium. He feels that if he continues, he could make it a \u201cstronger documentary.\u201d Micah believes that his documentary might have more to touch on with the upcoming presidential election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout this project, Micah has learned about the politically polarized state of America and a lot about \u201cinterviewing skills and how to edit a documentary!\u201d Micah also learned the value of \u201cnot procrastinating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another 10th-grader who learned the important lesson of \u201cnot procrastinating\u201d is Mika H. \u201826. Her project involves two of her passions: neuroscience and coloring. Mika has always been \u201ccaptivated by the intricacies of the brain and its incredible capabilities.\u201d She believes it\u2019s \u201ctruly amazing how such a small organ can be capable of controlling everything in our bodies from regulating it, to keeping us alive, to our emotions, memory, and everything that makes you you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mika\u2019s book \u201cNeuro in Color<\/a>\u201d is a coloring book that teaches the reader about the brain while they color. Mika described how \u201cthrough engaging activities, this book will not only entertain but also enlighten [readers], providing a unique way to learn and have fun while expanding our understanding of the brain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mika\u2019s research started with reading multiple textbooks. \u201cInstead of googling everything online,\u201d she said, \u201cI decided to gather my information from textbooks that people would use if they wanted to learn about the brain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once she completed the research, Mika moved on to the skeleton of her coloring book on an app called Procreate. She said, \u201cthis part took quite a while because digital art is not as easy as I thought it would be, and it took some time to adjust.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, Mika added the information about the brain <\/p>\n\n\n\n onto each page. She made sure that all the information <\/p>\n\n\n\n was \u201cdigestible and not overcomplicated.\u201d She said it was a \u201creally valuable experience\u201d as she learned all about the brain and creating a book while also learning about time management skills and planning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Mika will print her book to be showcased at the IP10 symposium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zoe Z. \u201826 has always had a passion for fashion. Over the summer, she interned with Cynthia Rowley, a famous fashion designer. Although she has always loved fashion, she came to realize the impact unsustainable fashion has on the world. While interning at the fashion company, she noticed \u201chow much waste was being produced in the process of manufacturing and designing clothes.\u201d This is where she came up with the idea for her magazine called \u201cFashion Forward.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The magazine highlights sustainable fashion. She includes interviews with \u201cdifferent experts surrounding the fashion industry, examples of sustainable brands, the negative effects of fast fashion, and finally, the improvements that have been made in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The magazine allows the reader to understand how important sustainability in fashion is while listing options of sustainable brands that deserve recognition. \u201cIn making this magazine, [Zoe hopes] to spread awareness about sustainability and to provide examples of ways my readers can make a conscious difference in their purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While reflecting on her project, Zoe shared how the project \u201chas allowed me to be resilient and cordial in school, and has allowed me to successfully work without the strict deadlines of normal assignments.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another student who learned the art of resilience was Felix W. \u201826, who learned to fly a plane<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Felix has always been passionate about flying. When he was figuring out what to do for his project, he quickly realized how great an opportunity IP10 was to follow that passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the fall, Felix spent his time \u201ctutoring and babysitting to earn the funds to take lessons to become a student pilot.\u201d He shared that his project\u2019s goal is completing his first solo flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to Micah\u2019s documentary-styled project, Felix\u2019s symposium deliverable is a video \u201ccentered around the process of completing my first solo flight.\u201d Throughout the process of \u201clearning to fly, I compiled footage to create a short movie about the experience of flying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Felix shared that the main thing he learned while working on his project was \u201cthe skills to become a student pilot and the progress to the point of my first solo flight. I learned that the hardest part of flying is becoming fluid with the controls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the IP10 Symposium approaches, it is evident that the sophomore students at our school have embarked on remarkable journeys of creativity, passion, and discovery. From Fletch K. \u201826\u2019s intricately crafted LEGO model of Grace Church to Felix W. \u201826\u2019s lifelong passion for learning to fly a plane and make that dream become a reality, each project is a testament to the talents and interests of the sophomore students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out the 10th graders\u2019 projects here: Zoe’s project<\/a>, Mika’s project<\/a>, Fletch\u2019s project<\/a>, and Felix’s project<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cassie Ball \u201826, the author, is a staff writer for <\/em>The Grace Gazette and completed her own March Madness project on <\/em>happiness<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/EbmJ8LjHJJARNKWaxUtqM59G4HGX59NZkEiD0kBVF9TAE-QfdFuy9Ze6QvC6-qhzSA8y-WVBaFp4r60zuIR4j7448gQwHnvd8nW1geOSAB251KLG1Ol5itmdqgufixtiQ14eTteb3qboujocGoB1FuQ\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/O4xw-_VSj9rapEqMm4F240Tr_Y01xOtOL6A385Opt4XA157C6G94bZwTdX_AUCwrXc82bTArA0vrc4bvW6Vnuch0QQ8CN-v3aDC-ke-u7dSmpEauuYipm3Ib976En8Ta9C9ONDdumECj5Ro11r4NeKU\")
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/YBFyjKrbL5JdjB6cskJTap43W4IP1hR3TPnA9P64aFoQyv00EAEq96swgCu5q1a7nNsW9YNWPlricQ9yOGmB8nS3g7BoIeR4mWMpONRCsFDd-UqhK8OxhB8IvHsvr1lQg-o_mQhjmroyrBWXoEioHOM\")